PSG beat Barca in six-goal CL thriller

AP:

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) proved too strong, even for the brilliance of Lamine Yamal, as they snapped Barcelona’s 11-game winning streak and moved to the top of the Champions League table yesterday.

A dramatic finish, which produced four goals in the final 20 minutes, secured a statement victory for PSG, who joined Liverpool as the only teams with three wins from three matches after Alexis Mac Allister inspired a stirring 4-3 comeback triumph over Villarreal.

Yamal had just showcased his exceptional skill to level the score at 2-2 from a tight angle when PSG regained the lead through Vitinha. Fabian Ruiz then added a fourth to seal the victory.

“We never feel like we’re powerless, or that we’re beaten in any way,” PSG forward Désiré Doué said. “We always know there’s an opportunity as long as the final whistle hasn’t gone.”

Injuries to star attackers Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tempered celebrations for PSG, which could now be forced to cope without two of their most influential players in attack.

Barcelona will need to respond quickly ahead of Sunday’s Clasico against Real Madrid after their perfect start to the season came to an end.

Defending champions PSG equalled a club record by extending their unbeaten run in the Champions League to 13 matches.

Doué and Lucas Hernandez were also on target for PSG, while Xavi Espart scored Barcelona’s other goal.

“We made too many mistakes in this game, with the ball possession, easy ball losses,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. “This was a great test for us, you saw today in which areas we have to improve to make things better.”

Flick also revealed that Rodri is set to play against Madrid on Sunday after appearing as a second-half substitute.

The match took place amid a visible police presence outside the stadium against the backdrop of unrest across France.

What began as protests over school conditions has expanded to include a range of other groups and causes, with violent clashes, fires and looting reported.

Mac Allister and Ngumoha spark Liverpool comeback

Eighteen-year-old Rio Ngumoha played a starring role in Liverpool’s comeback, setting up goals for Ronald Araujo, Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz.

Liverpool had fallen 2-0 behind after an erratic start, which included captain Virgil van Dijk apologising to teammates after his wayward header allowed Georges Mikautadze to score the opening goal for Villarreal.

Manchester City rebounded from defeat to PSG with an impressive 5-1 victory over AEK Athens despite leading scorer Erling Haaland starting on the bench.

Phil Foden scored a hat-trick, with his second goal the standout effort as it capped a sweeping team move.

Atlético Madrid held on with 10 men to secure a 1-1 draw against Stuttgart, denying the German side the chance to join PSG and Liverpool on nine points.

Julian Alvarez cancelled out Jamie Leweling’s opener before midfielder Morten Hjulman was sent off for a reckless challenge from behind on Angelo Stiller, leaving Atlético to battle through the closing stages with a man fewer.

McTominay scores twice

Scott McTominay scored his first two goals of the season as Napoli defeated Bodø/Glimt 4-3 to ease pressure on coach Massimiliano Allegri.

McTominay, who also struck the post, missed a month of the campaign after undergoing surgery in early September to treat an irregular heartbeat.

Serhou Guirassy scored twice as Borussia Dortmund defeated Azerbaijan’s Sabah 2-1, although the German side squandered several opportunities to secure a more comfortable victory.

It was not the convincing performance Dortmund had hoped for after last week’s loss to Bodø/Glimt and a draw with Union Berlin that allowed Bayern Munich to overtake them at the top of the Bundesliga.

Pavel Kacor’s leaping volley in the 90th minute earned Slavia Prague a 2-2 draw with Fenerbahce, which had raced into a 2-0 lead before a defensive mistake by Mattéo Guendouzi allowed the Czech side a route back into the contest.

PSV edged Porto 1-0, handing the Portuguese club a third defeat, while Roma cruised to a 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava.